Sheet handling mechanism for printing presses



R. S. BARBER Aug. 28, 1934.

SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING 'PRESSES Filed Nov. 2. 1932 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Aug; 28, 1934. R. s. BARBER SHEETHANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 2. 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 25 the elimination of 'the gripper bars.

Patented Aug. 28, 191

UNITED STATES n w; i

SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM F "PRINTING PRESSES Robert S."Barben'NewLondon, Conn., assignor to (LB. Cottr'ell & Sons Company,Westei-ly, 'RQL, acorporaticn of Delaware Application-November .2, 1932,Serial No. 640,761

Claims. (01. 271-79) 1' pairs of oppositely disposed coacting grippersare mounted for longitudinal -adjustment to handle sheets of differentlengths, one or both of said chains being laterally adjustable to varythe distance between oppositegrippers 'for'bringing the '5 grippers intoposition to handle sheets of difierent widths. I

A further object of my invention'is toprovide means whereby the usualgripperbars extending between the side. chains may be eliminated and 29replaced by coacting'pairs offside and/or head grippers carried by theirrespective side chains; thus not only enabling the mechanism tohandlesheets. of different sizes but also permitting greater speed because ofthe saving in weight' caused by A practicalembodiment of my invention-isrepresented in the accompanying drawings in'connection with a sheetdeliverymechanism.

Fig. -1 represents the sheet delivery mechanism 330 in top-plan with thesheet joggers omitted, the

side chains of the endless delivery carriers for'the sheets beingshown'in "full lines in position to handle wide sheets; in dottedlinesinposition to handle much narrower sheets; and-in dot-anddash lines thepositionof one of the side chains WhenadjuSted relatively tothe'otherside chain to handle-narrower sheets. i 1

(Fig. 2 representsa detail horizontal section taken at one of theouterhea'ds of the endless sheet carrier.

Fig. 3 representsa similar section taken at one of the intermediateheads of the carrier.

Fig. :4 represents'a 'similar section taken at one of theiinnerheads ofthe carrier. I

Fig: 5 represents a .side; view of 'the delivery carrier shown in Fig.1.

Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section 1. taken in the planeof thefline VI VI of Fig. 1.

lookingin the direetionof the arrows. v

Fig. 7 represents a detail' cross section-showing the means for mountingthesidejoggrs on their rock shafts. 1 Fig. 8 representsfa detailenlarged side eleva- 'tionof one'iif the :side cihains showinga set'of',grippers in' fu'll-line's in one adiusted position along the chain andin dot and dash lines in another adjustedposition along the chain. Ihedelivery .mechanism as shown in the ac-' companying drawings comprisesan endless sheet carrier having its side sprocket chains 1 and 2 spacedapart asufficient distance to handle sheets up to apredetermined width,which; in this case, would be the maximum width sheets for which thepress to which the deliverymechanism is to be applied is designed toprint and deliver. These side chains travel'around their respectiveinner end sprockets3 and 4,-intermediate sprockets 5 and 6 andouter'end'sprockets l and 8. The inner end sprockets f3 and 4 arecarried by and-are slidably interlocked with a cross shaft 9 rotatablymounted insuitable bearings-in the side frames 10 and l-lof the deliverymechanism, said cross shaft 9 being driven at the desired speed from theprinting press, not shown herein, through the gears 12 and 13. Theintermediate sprockets 5 and 6 are movabletoward and awayfro m each.other along the stationary cross shaft" 14 which extends between theside frames -10 and 11 and acts as a cross brace'therefor. The outer endsprockets-'7 and 8 are carried by and are slidably interlocked withtheir cross shaft 15 ;rotatably mounted in suitable bearing boxes 16 and:17, longitudinally adjustable along the side frames 10 and 11respectively. 7

The manually operated means which-I have 85. shown for simultaneouslyadjusting these boxes 16 and 17 along the side frames "10 and '11 'totighten the sprocket chains'l'and 2 is as followsz A cross shaft 18 ismounted in suitable bearing bracketsl9 and 20'carriedby the.side'fram'es 10 9'0 and 11, which cross sha'ft has a bevel gearconnection 21, 22 at one side of the machine with a screw shaft 23-mounted against endwise movement in the'side frame'lo and engaging theshaft bearing boxlG; andanother bevel gear connection 24, 25 with ascrew shaft 26 mounted against endwis e-movement in the side frame 11and en-. gaging the shaft'bearingbox '17. A crankhan'dle 27- may beused'for turningthe cross shaft 18 to simultaneously-tighten these snrocket'chains 1 and'2..

If-it should be desired -to move one of the sprocket: chains 1 or 2independently of the other, as' for instance whereit is necessary-toremove one'of the chains for repairs; etc.,-this may be ac- Vcomplishedby rendering eitherthebevel-geareon nection21,22, or thebevelgear connection 24, 25

inoperative, as for instanceby removing the pin :which looks the'bevelgear -21 to I-thecross shaft I 18, or by removing the pin whichlooks the bevel gear 24 to the said cross shaft 18.

The sprocket chains 1 and 2 run in trackways 28 and 29 respectively,having inner heads 30 and 31 mounted on the hubs of the inner endsprockets 3 and 4 to move laterally therewith along their shaft 9; outerheads 32, 33 mounted on the hubs of the outer end sprockets 7 and 8 tomove laterally therewith along their shaft 15; and intermediate heads 34and 35 mounted on the sta tionary cross shaft 14, said intermediateheads having hubs on which the intermediate sprockets 5 and 6 aremounted to move laterally therewith along the stationary shaft 14. Thesprocket chains 1 and 2 may be provided with pairs of coating headand/or side grippers adjustably placed along the chains to handle sheetsof different lengths. In the present instance I have shown pairs ofcoacting head grippers 36, 37 and pairs of coacting side grippers 38,39. The longitudinal positioning'of the grippers along the sprocketchains 1 and 2 may be accomplished by detaching the grippers from theirrespective links and attaching the grippers to other similar links so asto longitudinally space the grippers 1of each chain the desired distanceapart for the length of sheet to be handled. V The sets of side Joggers40 and 41 for the delivered sheets are carried by pairs oflongitudinally disposed shafts 42, 42* and43, 43*, mounted on thetrackways 23 and 29 respectively so as to be moved laterally therewith,said. shafts 42 and 43 being rocked from a cross shaft 44 having bevelgear connections 45, 46 and '47, 48 with the rock shafts and 43respectively; it being borne in mind that the bevel gears and 47 areslidably interlocked with the cross shaft 44. This cross rock shaft 44may be rocked from a source, not shown herein, through the rock arm 49and rod 50. Theusual adjustable front sheet stop is denoted by 51 andthe set of back sheet joggers by 52, said back sheet joggers beingreeiprocated from an arm 53 on the cross shaft 44 through the rod 54 androck lever 55 on the cross shaft 56.

The manually operated means which I have shown for adjusting one of thesheet carrier chains laterally toward or away'fromthe other sheetcarrier chain or for adjusting either of the sheet carrier chainslaterallytoward or away from the other carrier chain or forsimultaneously adjusting both of the sheet carrier chains laterallytoward or away from each other, is constructed, arranged and operated.as follows: H The inner heads 30. and 31 of the trackways 28 and 29'areprovided with screw threaded lugs 57 and 53 which are engaged by theoppositely threaded shanks of the cross shafts 59 and 60,

threaded cross shafts, may or may not be locked" to rotate together; thedevice in the present in stance being a sleeve coupling 67 embracing theinner ends of both shafts and fast to one shaft, a

coupling pin 63 being used for removably securing theother shaft to thecoupling when both shafts are to be rotated together.

The intermediate heads 34 and 35' ofth'e tack Ways 28 and 29 aresimilarly provided with screw threaded lugs 69 and 70 which are engagedby the oppositely threaded shanks of the cross shafts 71 and 72,rotatably mounted against endwise movement in suitable hearings in theside frames 10 and 11 respectively. p

Longitudinally disposed shafts 75 and 76 are rotatably mounted inbracket bearings 77, 78, 79 and 80, 81 and 82 respectively, carried bythe side frames 10 and 11. The shaft 75 has a bevel gear connection 83,34 with the cross shaft 59, a bevel gear connection 85, 86 with thecross shaft 71, and a bevel gear connection 87, 88 with the cross shaft65. Similarly, the longitudinally disposed shaft 76 has a bevel gearconnection 89, 90 with the cross shaft 60, a bevel gear connection 91,92 with the cross shaft 72 and a bevel gear connection 93, 94 with thecross shaft 66. A crank handle 95 may beapplied to the outer end of theshaft 75 or the shaft 76, as required.

When the oppositely threaded cross shafts 65 and 66 are coupled togethenboth sheet carrier chains are simultaneously moved laterally toward oraway from each other by manipulating the crank handle 95 to adjust thesheet grippers to handle sheets of different widths. If it is desired tomove one only of the carrier chains toward or away from the othercarrier chain, the coupling into the desired position-laterally of thepress as well as into the desired position forhandling,

sheets of a predetermined width, such condition being permitted byrotating both the shaft 75 and the shaft 76 the desiredamount. It willalso be seen that while the oppositely threaded cross shafts areuncoupled either one of the sheet car rier chains may be adjustedlaterally and then the corresponding oppositely threaded cross shaftsmay be coupled together, to obtain a further simultaneous movement ofthe two carrier chains toward or away from each other.

i From the above description it will be seen that not only may thegrippers be adjusted longitudinally for han'dling'sheets of differentlengths but also that the grippers may be adjusted laterally, eithertogether or independently, or first independently and then together, tobring the grippers into the desired position for handling sheets ofdifferent widths within the limit of the press to which the mechanism isapplied and in line with the path of the sheets from the press, all .ofthese results being accomplished without the use of the heavy andcumbersome gripper bars herein before considered necessary in sheetdelivery mechanisms employing endless carriers when the sheets, ondifferent runs of the press, may vary as to their'widths.

For anypredeterinined sizesheet that is slit, 2.

head gripper bar 965such as that shown in dot and-dash'lines onFig.lfwould be employed.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection withasheet,deliverymechanisrn, it is evident that the invention, except forthe jogging means, may be utilized in connection with sheethandlingmechanism of any character.

It is also evident that various changes may be resorted to in thecontstruction, form and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit andscope of my invention, and hence I do notintend to be limited to theparticular embodiment herein shown anddescribed, but

What I claim is:

1. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposedcoacting grippers mounted on said chains, and means for simultaneouslyadjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from eachother or for adjusting one of the chains toward and away from the otherchain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths.

2. An endless sheet carrier comprising side chains, oppositely disposedcoacting grippers mounted on said chains, means for simultaneouslyadjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from eachother or for adjusting one of the chains toward and away from the otherchain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths,and means for positioning the grippers carried by each chain greater orlesser distances apart for permitting the grippers to handle sheets ofdifferent lengths.

3. Anendless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposedcoacting grippers mounted on said chains, and means for simultaneouslyadjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from eachother or for adjusting either one of the chains toward and away. fromthe other chain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets ofdifferent widths.

4. An endless sheet carrier comprising side chains, oppositely disposedcoacting grippers mounted on said chains, means for simultaneouslyadjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from eachother or for adjusting either one of the chains toward and away from theother chain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of differentwidths, and means for positioning the grippers, carried by each chain,greater or lesser distances apart forpermitting the grippers to handlesheets of different lengths. I i

5. In a sheet handling mechanism, two parallel endless trackways, sidechains traveling therein, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mountedon said chains and means for adjusting one or both of the trackwayslaterally for the purpose set forth, said means comprising two sideframes, oppositely disposed and threaded cross shafts mounted in theside frames against endwise' movement and engaging their respectivetrackways, means for removably coupling two opposite cross shaftstogether, and two longitudinally disposed hand shafts mounted on theside frames and geared to their respective cross shafts.

6. In a sheet handling mechanism, two side frames, cross shafts mountedin the side frames, pairs of oppositely disposed sprockets mounted onthe cross shafts and slidably interlocked therewith, trackways mountedonsaid sprockets, endless side chains in said trackways passing aroundtheir respective sprockets, oppositely disposed coacting grippersmounted on said chains, and means for simultaneously moving both saidtrackways and their chains and sprockets laterally in parallelism towardand away from each other or for moving one of said trackways and theirchains and sprockets toward or away from the other trackway and itschain and sprockets, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets ofdifferent widths.

'7. In a sheet handling mechanism, two side frames, cross shafts mountedin the side frames, pairs of oppositely disposed sprockets mounted onthe cross shafts and slidably interlocked therewith, trackways mountedon said sprockets, endless side chains in said trackways passing aroundtheir respective sprockets, oppositely disposed coacting grippersmounted on said chains, and means for simultaneously moving both saidtrackways and their chains and sprockets laterally in parallelism towardand away from each other or for moving either one of said trackways andtheir chains and sprockets toward or away from the other trackway andits chain and sprockets, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets ofdifferent widths.

8. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposedgrippers mounted on said chains, means for simultaneously adjusting thetension of the chains and means for adjusting the distance between thechains, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a sheet handling mechanism, an endless sheet carrier comprising,side chains, oppositely disposed grippers mounted on said chains, meansfor adjusting the tension of the chains and means for adjusting thedistancebetween the chains for the purpose set forth, said tensionadjusting 'means including side frames, a chain shaft, bearing boxestherefor adjustable in the side frames,

screw shafts mounted in the side frames and engaging said boxes and ahand operated cross shaft geared to said screw shafts.

10. An endless sheet carrier comprising, oppositely disposed coactinggrippers traveling in parallel paths, oppositely disposed coacting sidejoggers and means for adjusting the distance between opposite grippersand between opposite joggers, for handling sheets of different widths.

11. An endless sheet carrier complrising, oppositely disposed coactinggrippers traveling in parallel paths, oppositely disposed coacting sidejoggers and means for simultaneously adjusting the distance betweenopposite grippers and between opposite joggers, for handling sheets ofdifferent Widths.

12. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositelydisposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, oppositely disposedcoacting side joggers and means for adjusting the distance between thechains and between opposite joggers, for handling sheets of differentwidths.

13. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositelydisposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, oppositely disposedcoacting side joggers and means for simultaneously adjusting thedistance between the chains and between opposite joggers, for handlingsheets of different widths.

14. In a sheet handling mechanism, two parallel endless trackways, sidechains traveling therein, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mountedon said chains, oppositely disposed coacting side joggers mounted onsaid trackways and means for adjusting the distance between thetrackways and thereby opposite grippers and opposite joggers, forhandling sheets of different widths. Y

